Two prehistoric cave site unearthed in Tibet
DHARAMSALA, Jan 5: Two prehistoric cave site has been discovered in Ngari in the Traditional Tibetan province of U-Tsang.
A cave site containing delicate stone tools and pottery shards believed to be at least 4,000 years old was unearthed in Ngari Prefecture, Chinese State media, eng,Tibet.cn reported.
A joint archaeological team from the regional cultural relics conservation institute and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences have reportedly unearthed, two caves of 1,000 square meters and 250 square meters respectively from the Melong Tagphug cave site, the report said.
Situated at about 4,600 meters above sea level, it is the first prehistoric cave site discovered in the Tibetan plateau.
Further discoveries from the cave include abundant cultural relics and animal bones, ochre rock paintings composed of geometric patterns, human figures and palms and the sun.
The archaeologists have maintained that the discovery sheds light on human activities, environment change, origins of agriculture and animal husbandry and prehistoric art on the plateau and that they will continue the excavation.
In November last year, a stone tool workshop unearthed in Tibet by the Chinese archaeologists suggested the earliest evidence of humans on the roof of the world dates back to 30,000 – 40,000 years ago.
